“It’s a complete circle of care,” says Chris Stancliff of his experience with the Good Samaritan Clinic in Jasper. Stancliff with cane, is surrounded by the health center employees, volunteers and board members. Patients and staff of the Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center presented a “listening session” Thursday at their clinic on Samaritan Drive, showcasing the work of the community health center to local, state and federal officials and community members.

The same week a Pickens man was indicted on 26 counts of child molestation, aggravated sodomy, and a host of other nasty charges involving two very young victims, the GBI was investigating a child pornography case involving a different Pickens man who lived in Arbor Hills.

Sheriff Donnie Craig has offered support in performing clean-up work to re-open two parks. Above, an unused ball field on Yellow Creek Road.

An old, abandoned ball field in east Pickens, which dates back at least to the 1980s, is a shadow of what it was while in operation. The pitcher’s mound is still visible, but the playing field is overgrown with weeds. The scoreboard is rusted out and the announcer’s box looks flimsy and rotted from the outside. The field itself is located at the end of a narrow, overgrown pathway behind the Yellow Creek Volunteer Fire Station.

The ongoing addition of a deck to the renovated building at the corner of Church Street and Main Street in Jasper (formerly called “Big Blue”) had the rumor mill in full force. Speculations were that the building had been sold by owner Luke Copeland and would soon house a new endeavor such as a steakhouse or micro-brewery, but Copeland stuck a fork in the conjectures when asked. “Nope,” he said. “We’re just getting ready to put it up for sale. I don’t know where that stuff gets started.”

Patrick Hall (right) and John Tinsley as guys bragging about their great dates.

By Nan Nawrocki

Tater Patch Players presentation of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a musical opens this Friday. There are only four actors in the cast: John Tinsley, Buffy Bezdek, Patrick Hall and Vanessa Stancil. But together they will introduce you to dozens of the funniest and most familiar folks you'll ever see on stage.